Sudan

Sudan has been rocked by protests since December 2018, leading to the ousting of President Omar al-Bashir. The Bashir Government was working to impose emergency austerity measures to fight off economic collapse. Following cuts to food and fuel subsidies, Sudanese citizens took to the streets to demonstrate against worsening living standards, and after the unrest found its way to Khartoum, calls for Bashir to be removed were heeded by Sudan’s military who overthrew him. Bashir had been in power for thirty years, and had previously faced backlash from internal and external actors over his reaction to unrest in the Darfur region. The International Criminal Court has previously issued arrest warrants against Bashir, for crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide. Since his overthrow, people have been protesting against the ruling military junta, and demanding a civilian-led government. Demonstrations have been led by the Sudanese Professionals Association, which is a conglomerate of health professionals, lawyers, and doctors. Currently, Sudan has an eighteen-member transitional council where civilians and generals share power, with a plan to transition to a civilian-led government in three years. This represents a major breakthrough, as tensions had been rising between the military junta and protesters. There was a crackdown on demonstrators following a sit-in near military headquarters, and a transition to a democratic government seemed to be in flux.